News, notes and reader questions about the San Francisco 49ers

February 25, 2010

I have to say ... of all the offensive linemen who have spoken today, I was the most impressed with Bryan Bulaga. He came off as a charismatic and smart guy. The number one topic with Bulaga, of course, was the thyroid condition that sapped his strength earlier this year. Bulaga said that's been a big subject with the teams he's spoken with thus far but that it's no longer a concern. He said two doctors who treated him at Iowa have sent letters to all 32 teams speaking to Bulaga's recovery. Bulaga said he lost about 10 pounds and wasn't able to work out when he was first struck by the condition the first week in September. He said he wasn't back to full strength until the Iowa-Michigan State game on Oct. 30.

One of the things that separates Bulaga in a crowded field of offensive linemen is that he actually played in a power-based, pro-style offense with the Hawkeyes whereas as other tackles in the draft mostly pass protected in spread attacks. "The way we ran our offense at Iowa is something the NFL guys like to see," said the 314-pound Bulaga. "I like that style of football. I like to put my hand on the ground and go after it."

One downside for Bulaga is that his arms measured a little more than 33 inches. Teams generally like their tackles to have longer arms, although McCloughan said today it was not a big deal. The team wouldn't pass up a shorter-armed tackle who was otherwise a solid player.

MATTHEW BARROWS

Matt was born in Blacksburg, Va., and attended the University of Virginia. He graduated in 1995, went to Northwestern for a journalism degree a year later, and got his first job at a South Carolina daily in 1997. He joined The Bee as a Metro reporter in 1999 and started covering the 49ers in 2003. His favorite player of all time is Darrell Green.